Press Clipping(s): 2-stroke DI Rickshaw produced by Bajaj in India

I just read this in the Green Car Congress. This is excellent news for Bajaj who is now producing its own line of fuel efficient 2-stroke direct injection rickshaws in India that are more affordable and easy to service than the 4-stroke counterparts.

As a plug for GEO2’s product for emission control on 2-stroke engines, I must say that 2-stroke engines do run rather dirty, especially when the PM emissions are considered. A significant portion of the PM emissions is essentially condensed unburnt lubricant oil that is released into the atmosphere. These oil droplets contain metal oxides constituents that turn into ‘ash’ which is really harmful to human health when inhaled. GEO2-stroke ceramic honeycomb wall flow filters trap >98% of these particles and convert the trapped soot, oil, carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbon gases into CO2 and water. This product was also recently featured in an article on Wired.comandBoston Business Journal.

Bajaj Auto Ltd, India has begun production of autorickshaws—the ubiquitous three-wheel commercial vehicles widely used in India, South East Asia and North Africa—equipped with 2-stroke engines with direct-injection technology from Orbital Corporation.The 2-stroke Direct Injection (DI) 3-wheeler offers a 30% improvement in fuel efficiency and superior performance.

The new model will initially be released into the local Pune market, with a staged release of the DI vehicles to other identified cities of India.

The positive feedback from our customers was a key part of the DI product confirmation testing. These first customers have enjoyed a 30% fuel economy improvement and experienced significantly improved driving characteristics.

—Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director

Bajaj expanded its Orbital technology license in September 2006 to include CNG and LPG versions of this product. Orbital 2-stroke direct injection engines are also in production on 2-stroke scooters in Europe and Taiwan.